NATIVE TROUBLES AT SHORTLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 821, 12 September 1870, Page 5

NATIVE TROUBLES AT SHORTLAND.

[Thames Advertiser, August 29.] In speaking of the native difficulty, we bave generally to record wars and rumours of wars, and movements of Te Kooti, and Tawhiao, and of colonial colonels; but now we have to record what perhaps we may, in imitation of the Americans, call our " domestic institution." It will be remembered that at the highest of the scrip mania the beach was the subject of great disputing and squabbling. Miners pegged the mud out to deep, water, and agitated that it should btgiven up to them, while speculators, finding out that high-water mark was the boundary of the goldfiekls, went to the native, and sought to purchase or lease the land. The miners, who had a taken possession, threatened to keep it in spite of all comers, talking about the rights of the working man and the powers of the miner's right. The miners, and those who claimed with them, proceeded in many cases to work, sunk a large sum of money in shafts and elections to keep out the sea, while those who had dealt with the natives appealed to the letter of the law, and played a " waiting " game. But the " waiting " game has been too much for both parties. Times became dull, people began to think that the expanses of mud might not, after all, cover Golden Crown reels unless at such a depth that it might cost too much to get at them. When confidence was gone, the miners found it impossible to raise the sinews of war and mining, and came gradually to a full stop. Now comes the turn of speculators, who are anxious to be oft' from the bargains they made. It appears that they made agreements with the native owners, paying them large sums as rental in advauce. To make themselves safe, however, against thepos-

sibility of the ground not coming into their possession, the speculators took promissory notes for these amounts from the natives, payable on demand. Whether the natives quite understood the matter we cannot say, but of course they signed and took the money, and what is more they soon spent it. The Government, as is known, has prevented the natives from giving a title to those who made agreements to lease, and now it is sought to recover the money from them by process of law, but that is apparently not quite an easy matter. Rents are not coming in ; miners' rights are comparatively few, and they could not if they would repay the money. Writs have been served some time ago, but of these the natives took no noiice. On proceeding further, resistance was threatened, and the other day, a bailiff, who went to serve a writ on Riwai was met by the old man with such a hostile demonstration with a gum spear that the man of the law beat a retreat. On Friday night, a Shortland lawyer who is acting for the speculators, gathered together a posse of bailiffs, boatmen, and others, and went up to arrest Aperuhama. But they could not find Aperahama, and the enemy was on the watch, and well prepared", and after manoeuvring for some time in the vicinty, the English forces, not for the first time, turned their backs upon the native foe. We believe that the natives are mustering strongly to resist the process on account of these unfortunate promissory notes, a species of document th*t is now disturbing the minds of both Europeans and Maoris. How the matter will terminate, we know not. We never thought that the transactions as to the beach were very judicious, or very conducive to the public interest, but, of course, the natives must be made responsible if they have committed themselves,

We learn (says the Daily Southern Cross) that the attempt to arrest Aperahama at. his settlement was made by the advice of Mr Turton, solicitor, who directed the bailiff to take a dozen men and go up to the place. An extract from a private letter says : " The only reason for going after dark was because the Maoris had said they would not allow any strange white men to land ; and the reason the number of men was taken was, that Turton thought, if the Maoris saw we were determined, they wonld be most likely to settle the matter; also, that if we arrested Aperahama, or either of the others that we have warrants for, and his friends attempted to rescue him, the men could assist in bringing him to Shortland." It further appears from the letter that the natives, after parleying with the bailiff and his followers through a broken window, allowed them to search for the parties who were "wanted," and who, of course, could not be found.